USED TO vs WOULD

USED TO

No se puede usar FOR o SINCE

• Para hablar de hábitos y rutinas que hacíamos regularmente en el pasado, pero que ya no lo hacemos.

I used to play the guitar.

Antes tocaba la guitarra pero ahora no.

Do you go to the cinema? ‘Not now, but I used to.’

Antes solía ir al cine, pero no voy

• Para hablar de situaciones que han cambiado. Para hablar de algo que era cierto, pero ya no lo es.

I used to have much longer hair when I was younger.

Antes lo tenía largo, pero ya no lo tengo

Susan used to live in London.

Antes ella solía vivir en Londres pero ahora ya no vive allí

• Para hablar de cosas que eran verdaderas pero que dejaron de serlo

There used to be a wall there. Ya no está             

 I use to have a dog, but I gave it away. Lo regalé.

She used to think it was all right to sit in the sun all day. Correct

NEGATIVA : I didn’t use to play football.   
          
INTERROGATIVA:    Did you use to smoke?

You should use 'use to' without a d in sentences when it follows 'did' or 'didn't' (don't worry too much about this because lots of people get it wrong).

The question form is ‘Did you use to…?'. When asking a closed question you put did/didn't in front of the subject followed by use to, you cannot use would.

WOULD

• Para describir repetidas acciones del pasado.
• Hábitos y rutinas del pasado, su uso es menos frecuente
• Para hablar de algo que soliamos hacer pero que ahora no, o que era verdad y ahora no, usar USED TO.

Every Saturday, I would go on a long bike ride.

When I was younger, I would play with my friends after the school.

No usar “would”  para hablar de estados: possessión, mind, being, stage of life.

I would have much longer hair when I was younger. INCORRECT. There’s a change

We would live in New York when I was a kid. INCORRECT. There‘s a change

She would think it was all right to sit in the sun all day. INCORRECT. state verbs

I would smoke. INCORRECT.

• Did you use to go out with my sister?
• Did they use to own the company?
• Didn't we use to go to the same school?

Also when asking questions about states in the past you cannot use would.

• What sort of things did you use to like when you were young?

. In the negative you cannot use would without a change in meaning.

• I didn't use to play with my dolls.

EXPLANATIONS+EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1          EXERCISE 2          EXERCISE 3         EXERCISE 4